Workshop on Child-centred Methodology
Workshop on
Child-centred Methodology
Facilitator’s Handbook
Workshop on Child-centred Methodology
Facilitator’s Handbook
Contents
Foreword
List of Contributors
Suggested Timetable
Aim and Objectives of the Workshop
Session 1: Registration
Session 2: Welcome
Session 3: How Do Children Learn?
Session 4: What is Child-centred Learning?
Session 5: Planning for Child-centred Learning
Session 6: Essential Resources for Child-centred Learning in Malawi
Session 7: Pocket Boards
Session 8: The Stimulating Classroom
Session 9: Classroom Posters
Session 10: Make and Do
Session 11: Challenges and Solutions
Session 12: Implementation
Session 13: Lesson Preparation for a Child-centred Lesson
Session 14: Resource Preparation for a Child-centred Lesson
Session 15: Delivery of Child-centred Lessons
Session 16: Self and Peer-evaluation
Session 17: Personal Action Plans
Session 18: Workshop Evaluation
Foreword
List of Contributors
List of Contributors to the MOEST 5-day Teacher Training Workshop on Child-centred Methodology
Paul ChindambaPEA - Zomba Rural – St. Theresa Zone
Mathias JanuaryDomasi College of Education
Patrick KapitoChancellor College
Michael LwandaPrincipal Methods Advisor, DIAS
Misheck MunthaliDomasi College of Education
Liznet Mwadzaangati Chancellor College
Patrick ThemuMOEST - DTED
Gibson ZembeniMalawian Education Consultant (Prof. TALULAR)
Sue MitchellVSO / MIE
Regina JunioVSO
Charles NabongoUNICEF Malawi
Panji ChamdimbaUNICEF Malawi
Michael BandaUNICEF Malawi
Jason AndersonUNICEF Consultant
A.K.M. KamaluddinUNICEF Consultant
Suggested Timetable
MOEST Teacher Training Workshop on
Child-centred Methodology
Suggested 5 Day Timetable
Day 1 / Day 2 / Day 3 / Day 4 / Day 508:00-10:00
(2 hrs) / 1. Registration
(at 9:30am)
Participants arrive and register. Housekeeping and ground rules. / 4. What is child-centred learning?
We learn about how effective learning should build on our learners’ knowledge, skills and interests, and take part in a child-centred lesson. / 8. The stimulating classroom
We learn about stimulating classrooms from other parts of Africa and then create our own stimulating classroom. / 11. Challenges & solutions
We discuss common challenges faced by teachers in the classroom in Malawi and find out about solutions found by other teachers. / 15. Delivery of child-centred lessons
We teach child-centred lessons to children at a local primary school.
Break
10:30 - 12:30
(2 hrs) / 2. Welcome
We participate in a team-building activity to build friendship between the participants. We discuss our expectations for the workshop. / 5. Planning for child-centred learning
We learn more about effective learning. We evaluate lessons from the Teacher’s Guide and personalise them to the learners we teach. / 9. Classroom posters
We learn about what makes a good poster, how to create and use them (both teacher and learners) and also look at stimulating alternatives. / 12. Implementation
Participants reflect on how they will implement what they have learnt & support each other in the process. / 15. Delivery of child-centred lessons continued
16. Self and peer-evaluation
We evaluate how our lessons went, and reflect on what we can learn from this.
Lunch
13:30-15:30
(2 hrs) / 3. How do children learn?
We learn about how young children learn at different ages, and we try out some activities that appeal to many different learning styles. / 6. Essential resources for child-centred learning in Africa
We learn about key TALULAR resources available to us in Malawi and how to use them. / 10. Make and do
We create our own resources for child-centred learning and reflect on how resource creation can help children to develop a range of thinking skills. / 13. Lesson preparation for a child-centred lesson
Working in groups, we prepare our lessons for tomorrow. / 17. Personal action plans
We create targets for personal improvement.
18. Workshop evaluation
We provide feedback on the workshop. Workshop closes.
Break
16:00-17:30
(1.5 hrs) / 3. How do children learn?
(continued) / 7. Pocket boards
We create an important resource to help us teach more effectively. / 10. Make and do
(continued) / 14. Resource preparation for a child-centred lesson
We prepare effective resources for our lessons.
Aim and Objectives of the Workshop
Aim and Objectives of the 5-day Teacher Training Workshop on Child-centred Methodology
Aim
To improve the quality of teaching and learning in Malawian primary classrooms through strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Education, teacher training colleges, the curriculum development department and selected primary schools to promote effective child-centred learning with the support and assistance of UNICEF Malawi and VSO Malawi.
Objectives
By the end of the workshop participants will…
- have a sound understanding of the concepts and practices of child-centred, interactive methodology in teaching and learning processes
- have a better understanding of problem solving techniques and increased awareness of active learning opportunities
- be able to use a simple planning system to support a child friendly curriculum
- be able to design and make a range of high quality resources and teaching aids from locally-available, low cost materials to support child-centred learning
- have prepared, taught and evaluated a child-friendly lesson (in a Malawian primary school)
- have begun planning to implement effective child-centred learning in the Malawian education system
Session 1: Registration
Time: 30 minutes
Number of Facilitators: 1
SUCCESS CRITERIA
The participants will have:
registered for the workshop
learnt about any housekeeping issues and ground rules for the workshop
PROCEDURE
Stage & Time / Activities15 mins / Participants register for the workshop.
5 mins / Facilitator explains housekeeping issues.
10 mins / Facilitator and participants agree on ‘ground rules’ for the workshop:
Suggested Ground rules:
1) Mobile phones switched off or on silent.
2) No ‘mini-meetings during workshop sessions.
3) Participants should respect each others’ opinions.
4) No fear or punishment of mistakes and errors: “There is no such thing as failure, just delayed success.”
Add others as appropriate.
Session 2: Welcome
Time: 120 minutes
Number of Facilitators: 2
SUCCESS CRITERIA
The participants will have:
met and got to know more about each other;
considered, discussed and compared their expectations of the workshop;
raised their awareness of the importance of teamwork/groupwork to learn and solve problems effectively;
raised their awareness of issues of inclusivity and how group members can all have a role to play.
SYNOPSIS OF SESSION
The session begins with an icebreaker name game. Then Aims and Objectives are introduced. Next. Post-it Notes are used by participants to write down expectations, which are then displayed on flip chart for the duration of the workshop. These will be used at the end of the workshop to check that the training has met their expectations. In the second part of the session, participants do a teambuilding activity appropriate to a TALULAR resources environment.
RESOURCES NEEDED
Paper or post-it notes
Flip chart or big sheet of card
1 old newspaper per group – make sure the newspapers all have the same number of pages
Resources 1, 2, 3 -1 of each per group of 4
PREPARATION
Write workshop title and objectives on chalk board or flip chart
PROCEDURE
Stage & Time / ActivitiesIcebreakers
20 minutes / Begin with opening prayer.
Then play a name game with ball. (All facilitators to participate) First throw and say your name. Then throw and say the name of person you are throwing to. Then close the circle with trainer in the middle. Play ‘change places if…’ Do a few examples: ‘Change places if you are wearing trousers/blue.’ The participants who fit the description must change places by running around the outside of the circle, occupying the next free space. Continue to provide examples: ‘Change places if you have two children.’ ‘Change places if you live in the centre of (city).’ ‘Change places if you have worked in a different country.’ ‘Change places if you are under 50 years old.’ This time the trainer takes a place, leaving one of participants in the middle. This participant must think of the next command: ‘Change places if…’ Continue until many have done this.
Expectations
15 minutes / Introduce the activity: Display session title and success criteria on chalkboard / flip chart. Read through. Then ask participants: “What would you like to take away from this workshop?” Think of 4-5 things, working in pairs / small groups (?) and write each one on a separatepiece of paper or post-it note. You have 5 minutes.
Participants work in groups to think of ideas. Facilitator monitors. Make a note of who is in which group – they will return to these groups in the Workshop Evaluation.
Participants stick their pieces of paper or post-its on a piece of flip chart paper or card with the title ‘Expectations for the Workshop’. Facilitator reads out questions and then tells participants that we hope to answer all these questions during the training. We will come back to this on the last day of training.
Football simile
10 minutes / Participants discuss the following in small groups followed by feedback.
“Good schools are like good football teams.”
Do you agree or disagree?
Emphasise that the football team has to work together to achieve their goal (i.e. win the game!) They may agree that it is true or false, but reasons are important. Teams work well together if they’re inclusive, and if both roles and relationships are clear. Good management is essential, but so is a team spirit and a sense of equality.
5 minutes / Set up the activity. Divide participants into groups of 4, making sure that there are some left over – you’ll need one observer for each group. If the numbers don’t divide exactly, some observers can observe two groups. Choose conscientious people with good English for the observers and give them resource 2.
Put one newspaper on each group’s desk and hand out the teamwork challenge task (resource 1) to all groups and observers. Give 3 mins. for silent reading (no touching the newspaper!). They’ll start chatting. Stop them and ask questions to check their understanding:
What do you have to make? What from? How many members have a disability? Who will check you don’t break the rules? etc.
Ask them to choose who will have the disabilities, and give these people badges (post it notes are fine): Disability – only one hand / Disability - mute
20 minutes / Participants start the task. Observers monitor. Make sure they’re taking notes.
5 minutes / Stop the groups after 20 minutes. Check which tower is highest (measure if necessary) and congratulate the winning group.
30 minutes / Hand out Resource 3 to each group. They should discuss all 4 sections using the time guides given. The observer joins in and gives feedback at appropriate moments (some observers can spend time with two groups). Listen in for interesting points to draw on during plenary discussion.
10 minutes / Plenary discussion: Get each group to read out their Learning Points, and then ask them the questions in Application.
(optional 5 minutes) / Option: tell the story of the enormous turnip and discuss the moral behind the story.
Things can be achieved if people work together.
A farmer wanted to dig up a turnip for his wife to make some soup. He chose the biggest turnip in his garden and he pulled and pulled but it would not come up. So he called his wife and she stood behind her husband and put her arms around him and they both pulled and pulled, but the turnip would not come up. So he called his son and he put his arms around his mother and the farmer, his wife and his son pulled and pulled, but the turnip would not come up. So he called his daughter and she put her arms around her brother and the farmer, his wife, his son and his daughter pulled and pulled, but still the turnip would not come up. So he called his dog and the dog put his paws around the daughter and the farmer, his wife, his son, his daughter and his dog pulled and pulled, but still the turnip would not come up. So he called the cat and the cat put her paws around the dog and the farmer, his wife, his son, his daughter, the dog and the cat pulled and pulled but still the turnip would not come up. So he called the mouse and the mouse put her paws around the cat and the farmer, his wife, his son, his daughter, the dog, the cat and the mouse pulled and pulled. And the turnip came up out of the ground and they all fell on top of each other.
Even the smallest, quietest person can make a difference.
3 minutes / Check with the participants if the success criteria has been achieved.
Session 3: How Do Children Learn?
Time: 3hours approx
Number of Facilitators: 3 (see notes below if there is only 1)
SUCCESS CRITERIA
Participants will:
understand how children learn at different ages;
understand how child-centred learning benefits different learning styles;
have a range of new activity ideas to try out in the classroom.
SYNOPSIS OF SESSION
Participants will use a categorisation activity to learn some of the background theory on how children learn at different ages, and then using 3 original activity ideas reflect on how these activities cater for and develop different learner intelligences.
RESOURCES NEEDED
Resource 1 - 1 per participant;
Resource 2 – 2 per group of 3-4;
Resources 3 – 1 set per group.
Resources 4-6 – several sets prepared for activities. Note pelmanism game – should be cut up and stuck onto card.
PROCEDURE
Stage & Time / Activities3 mins / Introduce session and read out success criteria.
20 minutes / Participants discuss the 3 questions in Discussion 1 on Resource 2 in groups of 3-4 followed by feedback:
Agree or disagree?
1) Children learn differently in infant, junior and senior sections of primary school.
2) Different children in the same class learn in different ways.
3) It’s not possible for a teacher with a large class to provide for the needs of all their different learners.
Plenary feedback as a whole group.
Answers:
Questions 1 and 2 are true.
Question 3 is false.
Key point: Variety is the key. Large classes can be opportunities for variety in lessons.
20 minutes / Divide participants into 6 groups. Explain that they will all do a categorisation activity.
Provide each group with Resource 3 (cut up cards). Explain they have to decide which of the 3 age groups each statement is about and put it on the corresponding age group sheet. Give them 15 minutes. Monitor and help with any difficult concepts / vocabulary.
15 minutes / Hand out Resource 1 – How Children Learn, 1 per participant. Participants check their answers. Explainthat this is a summary of their learning. Participants read through and discuss the question at the bottom followed by feedback.
50 minutes / Divide participants into 3 groups. Explain that all groups will experience3different learning activities - ‘bingo’ (resource 4), a running dictation activity (resource 5) and ‘pelmanism’ (resource 6) . It may be necessary to sub-divide the groups to ensure each group has a max. of say 10 participants. If there is only 1 facilitator, show them how to play each activity before they try them out.
Give them 15 minutes to try each activity. Then the groups move round until they have experienced all 3 activities.
20 minutes / After completing the carousel, the 3 groups discuss the questions in Discussion 2 on Resource 2 for each activity (approx 10 mins):
1) Which age groups can do the activity?
2) How could you adapt the activity for different subjects (e.g. maths, English, Chichewa, science, etc.)?
3) How was the learning made interesting?
This is followed by a whole group plenary to report the findings.
30 minutes / Write the different learner types shown in discussion 3 on the board / flip chart (visual learners, social learners, etc.). Elicit from the participants what each type likes. Find out about the participants’ children: What learner types are your children?
Then instruct participants to do Discussion 3 on Resource 2 for 10 minutes:
Which of these learner types would learn well from each of the activities?
- visual learners (they like to see and remember things in space)
- social learners (they like to learn in groups)
- kinaesthetic learners (they like to move about and touch things)
- auditory learners (they like to hear things, to say things)
- logical learners (they like to categorise things and find solutions to problems)
Note that all 3 activities would involve a variety of different learners, as they are all multi-sensory.
Emphasise that only one activity needs to be done to cover most of the learning styles.
15 minutes / Conclude by asking the participants if they would use any of the 3 activities with their learners. If so, which ones? Why? Challenge them to explain how they would make them possible in a large class. (e.g. take them outside for the running dictation; use reusable cardboard cards for ‘Bingo’, etc.
2 minutes / Review session success criteria. Have they been fulfilled?
Session 4: What is Child-centred Learning?